Christmas Parties

If like many organisations you have decided to end the year on a positive note with a staff Christmas party, there are a few things that we feel you may want to consider. This may include the new duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of your employees, which was introduced by the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2020) Act 2023 . This new preventative duty means you are expected to tackle situations where sexual harassment may arise head on. This means assessing the risks associated with the office Christmas party in advance and dealing with potential areas of concern before problems arise. We really are not being the party-pooper; in our experience, sadly more sexual harassment happens at Christmas parties than any other time of year.

Here are a few things you’ll need to consider to help prevent your party from becoming an HR nightmare.

1.           Undertake a risk assessment. This is important as you need to comply with the new duty to prevent sexual harassment. Guidance suggests that you will not be able to comply with this new preventative duty without undertaking a risk assessment. If a risk assessment has already been completed, you should update it to include the work Christmas party and associated risks.

2.           Ensure that relevant workplace policies are in place and up to date. These should include Bullying and Harassment and Disciplinary Procedures. Policies should clearly set out the definition of sexual harassment including examples so your employees understand acts of harassment and policies should be easily accessible.

3.           Manage the alcohol consumption

·      Limit the amount of free drink (obviously).

·      Provide plenty of food to soak up the booze.

·      Offer soft drinks as well.

·      Organise entertainment – even if it’s home-grown – so there’s more to focus on other than just drinking. 

4.           Provide transport home

·      If an employee drives under the influence, you could be held liable. Arrange transport home, and what they do after that is not your responsibility.

·      The arrival of the taxis/bus/coach marks a clear end to the party. 

5.           Set the ground rules beforehand

·      Summarise what you expect in an email before the office party,  for example, reminding staff this is a work social event so they are representing the company and certain behaviours will not be tolerated; also think about social media – what would you not like to see on Facebook the next day?.

Yes, the office Christmas party is a time to relax, celebrate and have fun. But don’t feel like a killjoy – boundaries are better than bedlam!

And remember – if it does all go horribly wrong, a stern word during or after the event is usually enough to set things straight. If not, our HR professionals are here to help. There’s probably nothing we haven’t seen, so please get in touch with us if you need a helping hand.